Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 8 #34Review

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Buffy and Angel get it on.

By Tim Lenaghan

Yeahbutwhat?

There's been a great deal of speculation on what direction Buffy Season 8 would take after the reveal of Angel as Twilight. After reading issue #34 I think it's safe to say that no one could have successfully predicted the direction Brad Meltzer's penultimate chapter takes. What actually transpires is a frequently metaphysical and persistently erotic romp through both time and space.

While those words may seem odd when considering a Buffy comic, they're certainly apt. Meltzer's tale takes a surprising twist as Buffy and Angel consummate their reunion. Giles attempts to explain the principles at work in both Buffy and Angel's newfound powers and their relationship to the apocalypse that is happening around them. Basically it amounts to one simple tenet, if this earth's a rockin', don't come a knockin'.

Meltzer's script here is rather uneven. While his first issue played as an homage to the super-hero genre, this installment reads as an eclectic sci-fi fantasy mash-up. It's clear that some of the mythology doesn't entirely fit with what the Buffyverse is accustomed to and as a result a great many of the story beats don't hit with the intended impact. Buffy's success at transcending genres comes from its character's ability to sell those moments with humor. While this issue has its fair share of jokes, they unfortunately don't serve to bridge the genre gap, and as a result there's a fissure running throughout this entire story.

Georges Jeanty does an admirable job of regaling the reader with his interpretation of Giles' take on natural history interspersed with carefully crafted scenes of Buffy and Angel. In fact his artwork is best described as a synthesis of "Wild Kingdom" meets late night Cinemax. It's hilariously over the top and provides some much needed artistic levity that isn't necessarily present in Meltzer's script.

Overall this issue is a difficult one to pin down. Meltzer's run has been somewhat of a smorgasbord of genres, some elements of which have been remarkably successful and some of which have fallen a bit flat. Unfortunately this issue finds itself mostly in the latter category.